Writers of the Sixteenth Century
Juan Diaz, chaplain to Juan de Grijalva. "Itinerario de l' Armata del Re Catholico in India verso la Isola de Iuchathan del anno M. D. XVIII." – Printed first (in the Italian language) as an appendix to the "Itinerario de Ludovico Varthema," in the edition of 1520, and subsequently in the editions of 1522, 1526 and 1535 of the latter book. It was also translated into the English language by Richard Eden, in the "Historie of Travayles," London, 1577, but I am not sure whether the report of Diaz is contained in it. The most popular translation is that by H. Ternaux-Compans, in his first "Recueil de pièces relatives à la conquéte du Méxique," (Vol. X. of his "Voyages, Relations et Mémoires originaux pour servir à l' histoire de la découverte de l' Amérique,") and the latest and best reprint, together with a splendid Spanish translation, is contained in Vol. I. of "Coleccion de Documentos para la Historia de México," 1858, by Sr J. G. Icazbalceta, of México.
Petrus Martyr ab Angleria. "Enchiridion de insulis nuper repertis simulatque incolarum moribus," Basel, 1521. (Separate print of the 4th Decade, which contains the first items about Yucatan ever published in Europe after Diaz's report).
"De orbe novo decades Petri Martyris ab Angleria, Mediolaneusis, protonotarii, Cesarei senatoris. – Compluti apud Michaelem de Eguia," in December, 1530. Alcalá.
"Opus Epistolarum Petri Martyris Anglerii, Mediolanensis, &c., &c." Also printed by Miguel de Eguia. Alcalá.
Of further reprints, and of translations of Peter Martyr's works (the reports on Yucatan are contained in the 4th and 5th Decades), I merely quote: "Novus orbis regionum ac insularum veteribus incognitarum, &c." by Simon Grynæus, Basel, 1532, embodying Dec's 1, 2, 3, and 4.
(Also the edition of 1536.) – A French translation of the 4th Decade, by Simon de Colines, Paris, 1532. – A German version, by Hôniger of Kônigshofen. – Hackluyt's reprint of 1587. "De orbe novo Petri Martyris Anglerii, &c., &c.," and finally the complete English translation by Michael Lok and Richard Eden: "De novo Orbe, or the Historie of the West Indies, &c., &c.," London, 1612. I need not dwell on the great importance of Martyr's book, for Yucatan.
Hernan Cortés. (His first letter is lost: in place of it the letter of the "Municipality of Vera Cruz," dated 10th July, 1519, contains a short statement about Yucatan. This letter is printed in Vol. I. of "Coleccion de Documentos inéditos para la historia de España," and in Vol. I. of "Historiadores primitivos de Indias," by Enrique de Vedia, Madrid, 1852. – Folsom's translation of 1843. "Despatches of Hernan Cortés, the conqueror of Mexico, &c." substitutes an Introduction by the translator himself. – The earliest mention of this report is found in Robertson: "History of America," Vol. III., p. 289, Edition of 1800, and an abstract is found in Prescott: "Conquest of Mexico," Appendix II., 3d Vol.) "Fifth letter to the Emperor Charles VII.," noticed by Robertson and Prescott; contained, in full, in "Historiadores primitivos de Indias," Vol. I., by Vedia. A full English translation, by Pascual de Gayangos, was published in 1868, by the "Hackluyt Society," vol. 40.
Juan Cristóbal Calvet de Estrella. "De Rebus Gestis Ferdinandii Cortèsii," written between 1548 and 1560, and printed with a Spanish translation: "Vida de Cortés," by Sr. Icazbalceta in Vol. I. of "Col. de Documentos para la Hist. de México." – Short and meagre.
Andrés de Tapia. "Relacion hecha por el Señor Andrés de Tapia, sobre la conquista de México." (Icazbalceta's "Coleccion de Documentos, &c." Vol. II. México, 1866.)
Benedetto Bordone. "Libro di Benedetto Bordone. – Nel qual si ragione tutte l'Isole del mondo con li loro nomi antichi e moderni," 1528. – Later editions also.
Girolamo Benzoni. "Historia del Mondo Nuovo," Venice, 1565. – Translated into German by Nicolaus Hoeniger: "Die Neue Welt und Indianischen Kônigreichs, neue und wahrhaffte geschichte, &c., &c.,' Basel, 1579. – Incorporated in Théodore De Bry "Grosse Reisen," Parts 4, 5, and 6. – Of other prints I but mention the latest English translation, published by the Hackluyt Society in 1857 (Vol. 21,) under the title of "History of the New World, by Girolamo Benzoni," edited as well as translated by Rear-Admiral W. H. Smyth. There are Italian versions of 1572, French of 1587, and Latin of 1600.
Bernal Diez del Castillo. "Historia verdadera de la Conquista de Nueva España," Madrid, 1632. (There may be two editions of the same year). Of the Spanish reprints I mention here (also contained in "Historiadores primitivos de Indias," Vedia, 1852, Vol. II.), the one of 1837, Paris, 4 Vols. 12o, and the other of 1854, México, 4 vols. also. – Two English translations are known to me at present: "The True History of the Conquest of Mexico, by Captain Bernal Diez del Castillo," translated by Maurice Keatings, London, 1800. – "The Memoirs of the Conquistador, Bernal Diez del Castillo," translated by John Ingram Lockhart, London, 1844. – There is also a German translation, by P. J. Rehfuss, Bonn, 1838. – Bernal Diez (not Diaz) is very valuable as eye-witness, having been to Yucatan with Cordoba (1517), Grijalva (1518), Cortés (1519), – and finally with the latter to Honduras, passing through Peten.
